Kids will follow our lead. They will follow our example, but we’ve got to set it. … All of these young people regardless of their race, their sexual orientation, they are gifts to us. They have so much to offer and it’s just terrible to find out that kids are letting this part of their life define everything about who they are going to be.
—Michelle Obama, on Ellen today, about the responsibility adults have in fighting school bullying. She says she tells Malia and Sasha they have a responsibility to speak up if they see someone being bullied.
[via]
Cam
Yes, however when your husband said that he doesn’t believes gays should marry and is defending a discriminatory policy like DADT in the courts AND DOMA in the courts, then he is telling these kids that the President of the United States thinks that gays are less than and worthy of discrimination.
Yet Another
Let’s take a moment and be glad the 1st Lady has joined the chorus of voices speaking directly to the issue of bullying over sexual orientation and gender identification.
Ok, now you can go ahead with flooding the thread with complaints about her husband.
Patrick
Can she run in 2012? Please?
ChicagoJimmy
On Marriage Equality our President had this to say on Wednesday, “I think that it is an issue that I wrestle with and think about because I have a whole host of friends who are in gay partnerships. I have staff members who are in committed, monogamous relationships, who are raising children, who are wonderful parents. And I care about them deeply. And so while I’m not prepared to reverse myself here, sitting in the Roosevelt Room at 3:30 in the afternoon, I think it’s fair to say that it’s something that I think a lot about. That’s probably the best you’ll do out of me today.”
Nice. So while your wife can visit Ellen and talk about what we should be teaching children about equality and bullying, you can’t bring yourself to actaully see folks equally under the law? Folks who are your friends and co-workers are less equal to you, but you’re serious about this whole bullying thing? Right. How do you look them in the eye? What do you say to them when they mention that their kids got bullied in school because they have two mommies or two daddies?
Hypocrite.
Fitz
I feel very ugly vile things that I want to say. So I am going to not say them, and just acknowledge that I don’t hold a lot of love for her husband.
tjr101
I just love M.O.!!!
Mark
I do like Michelle.
This is meaningless PR fluff when it comes to LGBT rights, however. Her husband is a fierce opponent of equality.
He needs to be held accountable for his support of DOMA and DADT and his opposition to LGBT marriage equality.
whatever
@Fitz: good job holding your tongue, hilltard. hillary will never be prez, got it?
B
@ChicagoJimmy:
him and his wife are two different people. how is he a hypocrite because his wife does and feel something entirely different then what hes doing?
Michelle’s doing something really courageous. Her husband isn’t doing all the things he promised I get that. i commend her and condemn him.
reason
Michelle also doesn’t have the burden of governing, nor does anyone else complaining. The government is a slow and delicate animal, it takes time to get things done.
Jeffee
The First-Spouse position is a tough one–whatever Mrs. Obama does is put under public scrutiny. She is not an elected official but almost treated like one.
Two of my neices follow every word Michelle says & they were *thrilled* that she made this.
They identify as “Black” because their mom is Dominican (born there, naturalized American) & they have faced bullying at school & by neighbors.
It means something BIG to them that Mrs. Obama spoke out about bullying, as did other African American celebs.
I’m not the biggest fan of POTUS, but I think Michelle’s gesture can still be appreciated. She was speaking out not just as First Lady, but as a parent, speaking to other parents.
When she talks, people listen–including bullied students and maybe even parents of bullies too!
alan brickman
fuckin hilarious….coming from the “black Barbara Bush???”…..
alan brickman
Politician’s wives always pull this tactic…it soften’s the hate for the politician’s anti gay ways…
alan brickman
Elizabeth Edwards also did this stuff for her husband…how did that work out????…..